Decomposition of buried corpses, with special reference to the formation of adipocere

Abstract

The unrestrained decomposition of a corpse involves the consecutive processes of autolysis, putrefaction and decay. Ideally, decomposition is completed within the regular resting time (15-25 years) and leads to the entire skeletalisation of the corpse. Adipocere, a greyish fatty substance formed during decomposition, is regarded as a spontaneous inhibition of post-mortem changes; it makes the corpse almost entirely resistant to decomposition and makes it impossible to use the same graves again. This creates problems for local governments with regard to the generally growing demand for burial ground. Apart from corpse-specific characteristics (e.g. sex, age, physique, cause of death), method of burial (e.g. material of the coffin, depth of grave, individual or mass grave, clothing) and time of burial, the conditions of the resting place (geology, topography, soil properties and frequency of use, air, water, and heat budget), in particular, have a special impact on adipocere formation. This study summarises the present knowledge on this phenomenon, combining results gained both in forensic medicine and in geosciences.

Decomposition Process and Post Mortem Changes: Review

“…Examples of these include clothing, grave and bedding material. Coffin made of pine and spruce will enhance degradation of corpse while oak, lead and zinc coffin will retard the decomposition process (Fiedler & Graw 2003). Müller et al (2011) also found that coffin that contain high amount of heavy metal can preserve the buried corpse by inhibiting microbial metabolism.…”

“…Obese individual, female, the elderly and babies have higher tendency to form adipocere as compared to thin individual, male and adult due to the variation of fat property and composition (Fiedler & Graw 2003;Schotsmans et al 2011b). Hydrolysis of triglyceride by bacterial action yields a mixture of free fatty acids and the unsaturated fatty acids will transform into saturated fatty acids via oxidation, hydration or hydrogenation (Fiedler et al 2004;Notter et al 2009).…”

“…High clay, silt and lime content that increase alkaline value of soil will further enhance the formation of adipocere (Fiedler & Graw 2003;Schotsmans et al 2011a). This is because these soil properties entrap the fluid released during decomposition around the corpse, which is essential for transformation of adipose tissue into adipocere.…”

“…According to Casper's rule, a buried corpse requires eight times longer than a corpse decaying on ground surface to reach the same stage of decomposition (Fiedler & Graw 2003;Gennard 2007). Depth of grave plays an essential role in determining to what extent the slowing down of decomposition will be.…”

“…At the same time, repeated burial in the same grave will accelerate the rate of decomposition due to the ready presence of rich microbiology population which is optimum in decaying organic matter Pringle et al 2010). However, study done by Fiedler and Graw (2003) found that humus produced by previously buried corpse may cause the surrounding soil spores in grave to become smaller and cause higher fluid retention for the subsequent buried corpse hence delaying the decomposition process. This phenomenon is the same for corpses buried directly in soil with high amount of clay, which has a higher fluid retention property.…”